Pressure regulated calender to insure equal nip pressure at all points



Nov. 25, 1958 'r. E. KANE PRESSURE REGULATED CALENDER TO INSURE EQUAL NIP PRESSURE AT ALL POINTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1956 m OE R A WK m. E S A M O H T ATTORNEYS Nov. 25,' 1958 T. E. KANE 2,851,504

PRESSURE REGULATED CALENDER TO INSURE EQUAL NIP PRESSURE AT ALL. POINTS Filed Oct. 26, 1956 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v p A 54 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

IN V EN TOR.

THOMAS E. KANE BY ATTORN EYS United States Patent PRESSURE REGULATED CALENDER TO INSURE EQUAL NIP PRESSURE AT ALL POINTS Thomas E. Kane, Mansfield, Mass.

Application October 26, 1956, Serial No. 618,569

3 Claims. (Cl. 92-75) This invention relates to a hydraulic or fluid pressure calender, mangle or padder of the type used for paper or for finishing textile fabrics or rolling work where rolls are chained or geared together therebyadding or subtracting forces to the nip pressure between the rolls at one end. In the use of calenders employed a plurality of rolls, the rolls are usually driven one from another at one end by means of gears or a chain. By such driving, when under heavy loads, a difference in pressure at the opposite ends of the rolls will occur and the finish on the cloth or paper or work which is passing between the rolls will be different along one side of the work than along the other side due to this difference in pressures which the work encounters. Driving the rolls from both ends by gears or chains is an expensive manner of accomplishing the desired result of furnishing uniform pressure the full axial extend of the rolls.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a construction of calender in which the opposite ends of the rolls will engage the work at the same pressure with the rolls connected one to the other at one end only.

Another object of the invention is an arrangement whereby the pressures exerted at the opposite ends of the rolls may be equalized or adjusted prior to the passing of the work.

Another object of the invention is the incorporation of these advantageous results mentioned above in a machine in which the bottom roll is held in position by fluid pressure which may be easily released to open the rolls and permit a sewed seam to pass through the rolls.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as Will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an end view of a machine equipped with this invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the machine;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the system by which the bottom roll is moved upwardly and the pressures at the opposite ends of the rolls are maintained equal.

Figure 4 is a fragmental sectional view showing the connection of the screw to the bearing for the upper roll.

In proceeding with this invention, I provide two frames in which there are guides for the bearings for the rolls which are to be used. The lower roll will have its bearings engaging the guides, which bearings are forced upwardly by fluid pressure. A stop will be provided along the guides at such location in the opposite frames that when the stops are engaged by the bearings, the axis of the roll will be horizontal. Bearings for the upper roll are also slidable in the guides and are urged downwardly by shafts which are threaded on their outer surface and are actuated by nuts which are rotated together or may be adjusted one relative to the other so as to urge the upper roll downwardly compensated amounts at its opposite ends.

With reference to the drawings, designates one end tween the rolls.

frame of the machine and 11 the opposite end frame of the machine suitably connected together in spaced relation. These frames are provided with guides 12 extending substantially the vertical height of the machine for the guiding of bearings for the rolls of the machine. The bearings are grooved to receive the guides. Lower bearings 13 for the lower roll 14 are slidable along the guides 12 in each frame While bearings 15 for the upper roll 16 are slidable along the upper portion of the guides 12. The rolls 14 and 16 are provided with connecting gears 17 and 18 on their respective shafts for driving one from the other; and where a friction calender is desired, one of the rolls such as shown here at 16 will be of a different size than the roll 14 and its gear 18 will be of a different size than the gear 17 so that it will rotate at a different surface speed than the roll 14 and thus friction material which passes between the rolls.

The work 20 is supplied on a reel 19 and is drawn therefrom and passed through a tensioning mechanism 21, thence between the rolls 14 and 16 and beneath a guide roll 22 and thence to a take-up drum 23.

Stops 24 are provided along the guides 12 in both frames and a fluid cylinder 25 having a piston 25" therein is forced upwardly by fluid pressure so as to move the bearings 13 of the lower roll 14 against stops 24. The stops 24 are so located in the machine that when the fluid pressure causes the bearings 13 to engage the stops, the axis of the roll 14 will be substantially horizontal. The fluid pressure, however, may be quickly released through a known mechanism upon the approaching of a scam in the work so as to permit the roll 14 to be lowered by its own weight and allow the seam to pass through the rolls without pressure being applied thereto, thus preventing marking of the rolls.

As shown in Figure 3 diagrammatically, a supply of fluid 26 which is pressurized by a pump 28 is connected through a common conduit 27 and branch conduits 29 and 30 to each of the cylinders 25 and 25'. A gage 31 is located in the branch line 29 and a gage 32 is located in the branch line 30. A valve 33 is in branch line 29 to shut off the pressure of the fluid in line 27 prior to reaching the gage 31 and a valve 34 is located in branch line 30 to shut off the pressure of the fluid in line 27 prior to reaching the gage 32. A valve 35 may also be placed in the common line 27 for the control of the supply to both cylinders 25 and 25, and this valve is a three way valve and is utilized for shutting off the pressure and connecting line 27 to the reservoir through conduit 27 from each of the fluid pressure cylinders to drop the bottom roll and permit the passage of the work with a seam therein be- A shut off valve 50 is also in line 27 to control the supply to both cylinders.

When the bottom roll 14 is in raised position, the upper roll 16 engages the bottom roll 14. The bearings 15 for the upper roll 16 are provided with a member 36 (Fig. 4) which is recessed as at 37 with the bottom of the recess arched as at 38 to receive the foot 39 which is pinned as at 40 to the shaft 42, there being a plate 41 covering the upper edge of the foot 39 so that the bearing will hang on the end of the shaft 42 to be supported thereby. Pressure may be applied to the upper roll through this shaft and foot by the turning of a worm-wheel 43 on the shaft which is threaded, the worm being held against axial movement relative to the shaft by the portions 44 and 45 of the frame 10. It Will thus be apparent that the shaft does not turn but rather the Wormwheel turns to urge the shaft downwardly. I may apply pressure on the bearings for the upper roll 15 by the rotation of this worm wheel which serves to move the shaft 42 axially. In order that both worm wheels 43 and 43 in the other frame may be actua hand wheel 48 to apply the desired amount of pressure at the opposite ends of the upper roll. In some cases it may be desired to apply an equalizing pressure at one end or the other end; accordingly, an adjustment-or yernier attachment 49 maybe interposed in the rod 47 by which .one part of the rod may be rotated relative to the other end, consequently adjusting the amount that the nut or worm wheel 43 is rotated relative to the wormwheel or put 43.

When gears such as 17 and 18 are used to drive one roll from the other, especially when there is a heavy load on the machine, the tendency of the gear teeth is to wedge the gears apart and to move theends of the rolls .to which the gears are attached apart and thus a lesser pressure is exerted on the work at the gear end of the rolls than at the other end. By my construction I will compensate for that variation, the machine being set in the following manner:

A fluid pressure such as hydraulic will be applied to the cylinders 25 and 25' to raise the bearings 13 and 13 up against the steps 24. A certain pressure will be applied through the upper roll 16. The valves 33 and 34 then will be closed so that the cylinders 25, 25 are isolated. Assuming no leak in the system, the gages 31 and 32 will then register the pressure applied through the fluid system plus the pressure exerted through the shafts 42. if these are unequal, then one of the shafts will be shifted so that the gages will read equal by changing the Vernier to either apply more pressure on the side showing the lower gage pressure or to apply less pressure on the side showing the highest gage pressure. The valves 33 and 34 will then be opened, and the calender will proceed with its normal function. Usually in order that the bottom roll may have a definitely fixed position against the stops 24 when pressure is applied forcing the same upwardly, I will have a pressure urging this bottom roll upwardly greater than the pressure exerted on the top roll and thus will maintain the bearings for the bottom roll against the step. In some cases, however, it may be desirable for test purposes to have pressure exerted on the top roll almost equal to the pressure exerted upwardly on the bottom roll adjusting the pressure at each of the gages 31 and 32 so that the pressure exerted will be equal when the two rolls come in surface to surface contact with each other. In this condition if the work is passed between the rolls, an additional pressure will be created, and the bottom roll will move off of its stops and show an increased pressure in the gages 31 and 32 from which it may be determined, if desired, whether the pressure acting on the work is equal at both sides of the work or at both ends of the rolls. Thus, by this system I may perform tests of advantage in determination of pressures existent at the opposite ends of the rolls when work is between them.

Should, during the running of the machine, a seam come along, trip mechanism of a known manner can be utilized to turn the valve 35 so as to release the pressure in both cylinders 25 and 25', permitting the bottom roll to drop and the top roll bearings to hang on the heads 39 with a spacing between the two rolls so that the seam in the work may pass between them without damaging the rolls, after which the valve 35 may be again opened and the bearings 13 raised against the stop picking up the upper roll when pressure will again be applied as provided.

I- claim:

1. A calender comprising spaced frames each provided with vertical guides, bottom roll hearings in each frame slidable along said guides, a bottom roll in said bearings, a stop in the path of movement of each of said bearings located above the bearings, hydraulic means to apply pressure upwardly to each of said bearings to constantly maintain at least one of said bearings against its stop during the functioning of said calender said means comprising a branched conduit to each bearing with pressure indicating means in each branch, an upper roll bearing in each frame slidable along said guides, an upper roll in the last said bearings, means .to apply downward pressure to each of said upper roll hearings in an amount less than the pressure applied by said hydraulic means and in varying amounts to cause said indicating means to register substantially the same to provide like pressures between the ends of the rolls.

2. A calender as in claim 1 also provided with means to relieve the pressure applied by said hydraulic means to drop the lower roll bearings and the lower roll for the passage of a seam in the work between the bottom roll and the roll with which it contacts during the functioning of said calender.

3. A calender comprising-spaced frames each provided with vertical guides, bottom roll hearings in each frame slidable along said guides, 21 bottom roll in said bearings,

a stop in the path of movement of each of said bearings located above the bearings, hydraulic means to apply pressure upwardly to each of said hearings to constantly maintain at least one of said bearings against its stop during the functioning of said calender said means comprising a branched conduit to each bearing with pressure indicating means in each branch, means to isolate each :branch and its indicating means, an upper roll bearing in each frame slidable along said guides, an upper roll in the last said bearings, means to apply downward pressure to each of said upper roll hearings in an amount less than the pressure applied by said hydraulic means and in varying amounts to cause said indicating means to register substantially the same to provide like pressures between the ends of the rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,575,539 Butterworth Mar. 2, 1926 1,925,949 Case Sept. 5, 1933 2,051,434 Cavagnaro Aug. 18, 1936 2,312,726 Munro Mar. 2, 1943 

